Luján to host open office hours Monday

U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján will hold open office hours Monday in Santa Fe. He will meet with constituents for five minutes each. To sign up, contact the Santa Fe office at 984-8950. The office hours are from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at 811 St. Michael's Drive, Suite 104.

Meanwhile, Luján on Tuesday will hold a telephone town hall on health care reform, giving residents a chance to ask questions. Anyone interested in participating should RSVP to 202-225-6190 by Tuesday at 10 a.m. The town hall starts at 7:30 p.m.

County announces town hall meeting

Santa Fe County Commissioner Harry Montoya and Sheriff Greg Solano will host a town hall meeting for the purpose of discussing community concerns, including graffiti and speeding, at 6 p.m. Thursday at the El Rancho Community Center, 394 County Road 84. For more information call 995-2761.

Española mayor won't seek re-election

City of Española Mayor Joseph Maestas has announced he will not seek re-election when his term expires in March 2010.

"This was not an easy decision for me to make, because it has been an honor and a privilege to serve the people of Española for the last ten years, especially the last three and a half years that I have served as mayor," Maestas said in an e-mail sent to city employees announcing his decision.

The announcement came a few days after Maestas delivered his annual State of the City address to a full house at the Misión de Española. He outlined goals for the next 12 months that include improving public safety, continuing efforts to revitalize Española's downtown area, building a new jail, and taking a general-bond proposal to the voters to raise funds for a new public library for the city.

Maestas served as a city councilor from 2000 until 2006, when he was elected mayor.

Udall meets with N.M. veterans

More than 100 veterans from Southern New Mexico met with U.S. Sen. Tom Udall at the national World War II memorial in Washington, D.C.

The group of veterans — who served during World War II, Vietnam and the Korean War — traveled in matching yellow jackets as part of a free trip organized by a national organization that aims to bring veterans to see the memorial.

Udall, a New Mexico Democrat, thanked the veterans for their service and posed with them for photographs during Wednesday's visit.

The veterans were from communities including Las Cruces, Deming and Lordsburg.

Udall's office says this is the second time the New Mexico Honor Flight Network has made the trip to visit the memorial.

Governor pleads for solar, GE plant

Gov. Bill Richardson traveled to California Wednesday to try and coax 10 different solar energy companies into doing business in New Mexico. Richardson also addressed solar energy officials at a dinner hosted by venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates in Menlo, Calif.

Thursday, Richardson traveled to the East Coast to meet with Jeffrey Immelt, president and chief executive officer of GE. Richardson plans to discuss options for the company's Albuquerque GE plant, which is set to close in 2010.